Paul Hollywood: live webchat, Thursday 14 February, 9.30am

We're just coming down from the thrill of last night's webchat with Yotam Ottolenghi and are now gearing ourselves up for tomorrow morning when Paul Hollywood will join us at Mumsnet HQ for webchat at 9.30am.

Paul Hollywood is Britain's favourite master baker and best known for his appearance with Mary Berry on Great British Bake Off. His latest book is all about bread - how to make it and how to use it. Not only does Paul teach you exactly how to make a variety of breads, but for each one there is a spin-off recipe that shows you how to make a fantastic meal of it.

Join Paul for brunch tomorrow between 9.30 and 10.30 am. If you're unable to make that time, do post a question to this thread in advance.

I love baking, and have recently started using spelt flour for making bread.

However, the breads with spelt flour always come out quite stodgy and 'wet', and I'm not sure if and what I need to adjust when baking with it - less water, longer baking times etc? I've tried mixing the spelt flour with normal bread flour, but not with much success. Any advice would be appreciated!

When starting with spelt flour always bake in a tin. This will encourage the dough to be light and airy as it only has one way to rise. Spelt is a wheat but with a slightly lower gluten level. Because of this it needs more kneading.

I've found all your bread talk on the Bake Off rather inspiring, and my resolution for 2013 is to perfect my breadmaking - I'm baking several loaves a week to try to improve. My kneading is getting better but my rise is still hit and miss. I've been trying fresh yeast, which I feel makes a bit of difference, but the bread book I'm currently reading reckons there is no advantage to it over dried yeast. Which do you prefer to use and why?

Many thanks!

I use the fast action yeast. There is no difference at all between fast action and fresh. I used fresh yeast for 25 years and for the last 8 I've used fast action.

Hi there! I have a four year old son with longstanding eating problems and a very poor diet (reflux as a baby, became a food phobia). Just wondering if it is possible to sneak vegetables into bread without it being very obvious eg great lumps of tomato? I have had a recipe for courgette cake in the past where you couldn't taste (or more importantly, see) the courgettes. Any ideas for similar with bread?! Thanks.

Making a focaccia is the best way to hide vegetables such as carrots, onions, courgettes, parsnips, etc.

You mention baking tins - mine are ancient, and I'm suspencting that they contribute to the more recent baking failures, so I want to treat myself to new ones. Any particular ones you can recommend? What about silicone moulds for bread baking, any good?

I have been trying to make macaroons. Some have worked out perfectly and tasted fantastic (if I do say so myself ). Others have spread too much or cracked (even sometimes on the same tray). What's your top tip for success with macaroons?

Thanks!

The secret when making macarons is to leave them to rest for a good two to three hours before baking them. This will give you the feet, i.e. the base, that you look for on a good macaron, and shine. providing you have the correct liquid in there.

Hi Paul,When making cakes I use the electric egg bearer to get my whites fluffy and d it into the batter without losing any air. But my cakes always end up dense. Does this mean i need a kenwood mixer like they have in GBBO??

I am a huge fan of you and Mary, I wish you had a bakery in my local village. I dispair at the demise of the high street baker.

Do you have a recipe for Nan bread? is it incredibly difficult to bake properly without a fire pit?!

It's difficult to bake one without a tandoor but you can get a good finish on a naan bread in your conventional home oven using baking powder instead of yeast. As an alternative, you could also make chapatis.

Ooh thank you. Have never been brave enough to try sour dough but will do so now.

I do despair, though, at the complete lack of good bakeries in much of the UK. Do you think there is anything that can be done to revive good local bakeries and patisseries? I live in a city of a million people and we have NO proper bakeries at all.